Construyendo una dinastía de canciones armoniosas

Capítulo 42

Lin Suyang glanced at him and said, "You are the emperor, and I don't want those ministers to say that I am a seductress who bewitches the emperor."

Qin Hao's face immediately turned cold, and he said, "Who dares!" Seeing that he was serious, Lin Suyang quickly pulled his hand and said, "I was just joking."

Qin Hao lowered his head, cupped her face in his hands, and said earnestly, "Feng'er, don't worry, no one dares to disrespect you, no one..."

Lin Suyang saw his expression clearly, which showed a faint pain and struggle. She couldn't figure out why, and her heart softened. She wanted to persuade him to visit other palaces, but suddenly she couldn't bring herself to speak.

When Yanzi came out of the imperial kitchen, it was already getting dark. She counted the packed food; there was quite a lot. She should find two eunuchs to help carry it back. Looking around, she saw everyone was rushing about, busy with their own affairs. It was dinnertime, and everyone in the palace was incredibly busy. Where could she find anyone?

Just as she was turning her head, wondering whether to call the guard over, she saw a figure flash past her. She quickly called out to him, "Hey..."

The man heard the voice, paused, turned around, looked at her, and asked, "Was the young lady calling me?"

Yanzi nodded. She walked over and asked, "Which palace are you from?" The man had a handsome face, but seemed to be new. Otherwise, she wouldn't recognize him at all.

"I……"

"Never mind. You seem so free. Help me carry that bag of things away," Yanzi interrupted him, impatiently pointing to the two baskets of melons and fruits on the ground.

"But why don't you take it yourself, young lady?" The man seemed very reluctant.

Yanzi glared and said, "Do you think a weak woman like me can lift this? Honestly, a grown man is pushing and shoving when he's carrying such a small load." She then watched him lift the heavy basket before walking towards Hanzhu Garden with satisfaction. The arrogant Yanzi thought she was so powerful, but she didn't see the ambiguous smile on the lips of the man behind her, who should have been feeling wronged.

The imperial kitchen wasn't far from Qingxiang Palace, so they soon arrived at the willow-lined path outside the palace. Yanzi was preoccupied with what to cook for her master that evening, and her pace quickened unconsciously. Those following behind carefully surveyed their surroundings, noting where they could hide.

After a short while, they passed through several palaces and pavilions, and after a long corridor, they arrived at the gate of Hanzhu Garden.

Upon seeing two guards standing ahead, the man following behind Yanzi quickly lowered his head, overhearing Yanzi say, "Have you two not changed shifts yet?"

Then one of the two men said, "It'll be changed soon. Why don't you go in quickly? The Emperor just left, and the Empress is inside alone."

"Ah!" Yanzi cried out in a panic and quickened her pace, forgetting that someone was following behind her. As she entered the door, she heard two guards shouting, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Yanzi patted her forehead and went back, saying, "Brothers, he's the one I asked to help deliver things." Turning to the man, she said, "Hurry up and come in."

The guard glanced at the man, his eyes lingering on the basket in his hand, and lowered his outstretched hand. "Go and come back quickly; this is not a place for you to linger."

The man nodded, picked up his basket, and walked in. "Don't mind them. Although they are all guards, they were appointed by the Emperor, so they inevitably have a bit of an air about them. But they are very nice people," Yanzi comforted him as she led him to a place to put his basket.

"Thank you for today," Yanzi said sincerely.

The man wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking to himself that this girl wasn't so unruly after all, but replied, "No need to thank me, young lady. Serving my master is a servant's duty..."

"Oh my! My dear aunt, you're finally back! Her Majesty has been waiting for you for ages, why are you still dawdling here?" Shunzi exclaimed as she burst through the door to Yanzi.

"Coming, coming," Yanzi said hurriedly. "Brother Guard, you must be tired too. Why don't you rest here for a while? I have something to do and I'll be leaving for a bit." Before the man could answer, she quickly followed Shunzi out.

"Hey..." The man raised his hand, shook his head, and withdrew it.

He slowly observed the place; it was a small kitchen, fully equipped. The counter was spotless, and everything was neatly arranged. Truly befitting a royal residence. Looking out the window, a deep, rich red sunset painted half the sky, creating the most beautiful evening scene. For no reason, he felt a tightness in his chest. He reached into his robes and pulled out an object. A piece of crystal-clear jade appeared in the slightly scorching air, with a small, delicate character for "forest" faintly visible on it. The strokes were fluid and clear, yet all the sharp edges had disappeared. The entire piece of jade seemed to have been touched a thousand times, its luster dulled.

"Where are you...?"

There was no doubt that this person was none other than Si Junxing, who had infiltrated the palace in disguise. He had eavesdropped at the Lin residence that night, and while he didn't know who the other person was negotiating with Lin Cheng, he learned from their conversation that Lin Cheng had an important person in the hands of that person's master. Just who was this important person that made Lin Cheng so nervous?

There was a nagging feeling that this matter wasn't so simple, and that the outcome might very well be the answer he had been desperately seeking. Although he didn't know the nature of Lin Suyang's relationship with her father, judging from Lin Suyang's behavior, Lin Cheng clearly doted on her, his "son." As far as he knew, Lin Cheng only had two children, Lin Suyang and Lin Ziyan, and Lin Ziyan was currently in Hedan in the Northwest and hadn't returned. And Lin Suyang…

That important person must be Lin Suyang! Realizing this, Si Junxing couldn't contain his excitement and stayed outside the Lin residence all night, waiting for the other person to appear and negotiate with Lin Cheng. As expected, after two days, that person reappeared in Lin Cheng's study; it seemed they had reached some kind of agreement.

Si Junxing originally intended to secretly follow the man to find his mastermind, but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a soft sound coming from the study. Sensing something was amiss, he hesitated for a moment before finally taking a step forward. At that moment, a voice came from inside the room, "Come in."

Si Junxing wasn't sure if they were talking about him, so he stopped and stood still. Soon, the voice inside the room continued, "You've been waiting for so long, don't you want to know something? For example, about her."

With a loud bang, Si Junxing burst through the door, his face pale, and stared intently at the person inside, asking, "You know where she is? She's not dead, is she?"

Lin Cheng sat behind his desk, watching him quietly, seemingly not at all surprised by the arrival of this person in front of him.

“Si Junxing. Right?” Lin Cheng smiled and pointed to a stool opposite him, saying, “Please sit down.”

Si Junxing looked at him for a long time before turning around, closing the door, and sitting down.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I knew you existed?"

“I’m not interested in any of that. I just want to know where she is,” Si Junxing said coldly.

Lin Cheng ignored his cold tone and continued, "I am so glad that someone as devoted as you loves my Yang."

"But I think she must be having a hard time without you."

Si Junxing tensed up, her hands clenching tightly. Was she... not doing well?

"The Imperial Palace," Lin Cheng said.

"What?"

"The palace. You can look there. As for the rest, I don't know more than you do."

Si Junxing glanced at him, then got up and started to walk out.

"After you find her, protect her well, take her away from there, and never come back." Lin Cheng's voice suddenly became very tired, like that of a truly old man, listless and without interest in anything.

"You... are her father..." Si Junxing said his last words before leaving.

Lin Cheng stared at the wide-open gate. The moonlight bathed the courtyard in its glow. He closed his eyes, and in a daze, he was transported back to that time—to a beautiful, talented, and stunningly beautiful woman…

Si Junxing touched the mask on his face, carefully placed the jade pendant back into his bosom, close to his chest, and then went out. The palace was so vast; finding someone there was like finding a needle in a haystack. He decided to start searching nearby. Now that he was inside, he wasn't worried about not finding her; even if he had to search every single palace, he would find her.

After Lin Suyang finished drinking a bowl of plum juice, Yanzi ran in, panting, and said, "M-Master, this servant...this servant is back."

Lin Suyang smiled and looked at her: "Yanzi, did you sunbathe for a long time?"

Yanzi looked at her in surprise and said, "Master, this servant didn't..."

"Hehe, I was just kidding. Take a rest. The Emperor might not come tonight, so just make yourself something to eat."

"How can that be? Your Majesty, how can you be so careless about your health? Today, I went to the Imperial Kitchen and got a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Imperial Physician said that eating more of these will be good for both Your Majesty and the young prince."

Lin Suyang picked up a book and started flipping through it: "How do you know it's a prince and not a princess?"

"Ah... well, hehe, I just guessed." Yanzi said, fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

"Alright, hurry up and make something to eat. I'm getting a little hungry." "I'll go right away." Yanzi clapped her hands, picked up the bowl on the table, and went out. As she turned to walk towards the kitchen, she saw the guard who had helped her deliver the food earlier standing there, staring intently at the room behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Volume Four, Palace Secrets, Chapter 102: A Familiar Feeling (Part Two)

"What are you doing?" Yanzi exclaimed in surprise as she looked at Si Junxing.

Si Junxing glanced at her, ignoring her displeased expression, and slowly walked towards Lin Suyang's room.

"How dare you! Do you know what you're doing!" Yanzi reached out to stop him from going any further, her tone more stern than ever before.

Si Junxing stared coldly at her, his eyes gradually hardening with icy rage, which startled Yanzi so much that she involuntarily took a few steps back.

"You...you..."

"Yanzi, what's wrong?" A gentle voice came from inside the room, and Lin Suyang's graceful figure appeared before him. At that moment, Si Junxing's heart pounded like a drum, his tightly clenched hands unconsciously loosened, and his gaze in that direction instantly became one of infatuation and tenderness.

"What's going on?" Lin Suyang frowned slightly as she looked at Yanzi, who was furious. Feeling the unusually intense gaze from behind her, she looked over curiously.

Si Junxing murmured softly, "Su Yang."

Lin Suyang frowned even more. Who was this person?

Si Junxing seemed oblivious to the displeasure on her face and continued to call out, "Su Yang," in a daze.

This time Lin Suyang heard clearly; it was yet another case of mistaken identity. Yanzi, unable to bear it any longer, immediately jumped in front of Si Junxing and shouted, "How dare you be so disrespectful to Her Highness! Speak, who are you, and what are your intentions?" Yanzi's shout quickly attracted the guards stationed outside the garden. "Quickly, this man is disrespectful to Her Highness! Seize him!" Yanzi pointed at Si Junxing and shouted to the entering guards.

Seeing that Lin Suyang remained silent, the guards assumed it was their master's idea. They all stepped forward, bound Si Junxing's hands behind his back, and were about to take him away. However, Si Junxing's eyes were fixed on Lin Suyang, filled with deep affection mixed with a faint despair and sorrow. This look made Lin Suyang's heart clench. She actually called out to the guards who were about to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lin Suyang called out. "You all go down first. I have something to ask him."

The two guards exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, they bowed respectfully to her and withdrew. Seeing that Lin Suyang had not only not punished the lecherous man, but had even kept him around, Yanzi cried out anxiously, "Your Majesty, how could you..."

"Alright, Yanzi. It's nothing. I just wanted to ask him a few things. Didn't you say you'd make me a lavish dinner? Go on." Lin Suyang said to Yanzi. Turning to Si Junxing, she said, "Come in with me. I have something to ask you."

Uneasy about her master being alone with that dangerous person, Yanzi wanted to wait by her side. However, Lin Suyang wouldn't allow it, so she had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Before leaving, she glared fiercely at Si Junxing. She inadvertently met his icy gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickened her pace and walked out the door.

"Su Yang." Si Jun walked over and approached Lin Su Yang.

Lin Suyang frowned and took a step back, saying softly, "Young Master, please have some self-respect."

Si Junxing was stunned. Her expression was like a sharp blade piercing his heart, drawing crimson blood. His gaze slid down her body, finally settling on her protruding belly. His throat tightened, and the thick taste of blood filled his mouth. Not believing her words, he reached out and tore off the thin human skin mask from his face, gazing at her with unwavering devotion once more. "Su Yang, look again. It's me. It's Si Junxing. Si Junxing, don't you remember?"

"You..." Lin Suyang was startled to see that he was wearing a human skin mask. Could it be that he had encountered an assassin? But seeing his sudden look of sorrow, he softened and said, "Suyang? Are you referring to Grand Tutor Lin Suyang of the Great Yang Dynasty? Then you have indeed mistaken me for someone else. A few days ago, someone said that I looked a lot like the Grand Tutor. I thought it was a joke, but it turns out it is true."

She forgot, she forgot everything, forgot him. Forgot their vows of eternal love, forgot her promises to him! Why did this happen? Si Junxing was unwilling to accept it. He took a few quick steps and pulled Lin Suyang into his arms, holding her tightly. "You're teasing me, aren't you? You still remember me, don't you..."

Lin Suyang struggled to break free from his embrace and suddenly raised her hand, slapping him across the face with a loud "smack." In no time, five red finger marks appeared on Si Junxing's right cheek.

"How dare you!" Lin Suyang was both ashamed and angry. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

"I...I'm sorry..." Si Junxing stared at her blankly, standing there with his head down like a child who had done something wrong.

Lin Suyang took a deep breath and said calmly, "Young Master, you have really mistaken me for someone else. I am not the person you are looking for. I heard that the Grand Tutor has already passed away. I think you are just missing him too much. Let's leave it at that. If you want to live, you should leave quickly. This palace is not a place you can come and go as you please."

Upon hearing this, Si Junxing raised his head and laughed miserably, "I mistook you for someone else? You're not her? Then, who are you?"

Lin Suyang paused for a moment, then said, "I am the Empress of the Great Central Plains, my surname is Yun and my given name is Feng."

"What a great Empress Da Yang, what a Yun Feng'er! Let me ask you, do you believe it?" Si Junxing regained his usual composure and questioned her.

"I..." Do you believe it? From the day Qin Hao told her about her "background", she had never doubted it. Later, when she met Xuan Ge, her doubts intensified day by day. But no matter how she tried to recall, she couldn't remember anything before she was injured. In her mind, the past was still a blank, like a silent piece of paper that she couldn't write down any fragments of.

"My affairs are none of your concern, young master. Please leave as soon as possible." Lin Suyang's mind was in turmoil. He couldn't remember why he had kept him here or why he had let him in. Now he realized it was truly a matter of fate.

"I will come again." Someday, I will make you remember me. Si Junxing gave her a deep look, turned and left, leaving Lin Suyang sitting there alone, lost in thought.

Si Junxing walked out of Hanzhu Garden. Strangely, the guards outside didn't even look at him before letting him pass. Although he had some doubts, his excitement at seeing Lin Suyang today made him lower his guard. He didn't intend to leave the palace, because he was determined to take Lin Suyang away. So he carefully avoided the patrolling guards and found a secluded spot not far from Hanzhu Garden to hide. He would wait for an opportunity to take Lin Suyang away, whether she wanted to or not.

Qin Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief after finishing the wedding preparations. Now, all he had to do was wait for the phoenix robe to be completed. The thought of Lin Suyang becoming his true wife filled him with an overwhelming sweetness. He stood up and said to An Zhen below, "Remember, before the wedding, I do not wish for anyone else to see her."

An Zhen knew who the "she" Emperor Hong was referring to was, and nodded respectfully.

Qin Hao left the Imperial Study and continued walking towards Hanzhu Garden. He seemed to be in a good mood today, smiling all the way. However, the palace maids and eunuchs he encountered were all trembling and kneeling in fear. He looked at them, smiled coldly, and continued walking forward without stopping.

Lin Suyang, in a daze, picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip. The strong astringent taste brought her back to her senses, and she stopped.

"Yanzi, what's this?" This smell...

"Reporting to Master, that is Longjing tea."

"Longjing? Why does it taste stranger and stranger?" Lin Suyang asked in confusion. Compared to the Longjing from the past few days, the strange taste was even stronger, not to mention compared to Xuan Ge's.

"This servant doesn't know, it seems the imperial physician brought this today," Yanzi said, puzzled. A strange taste? How could perfectly good tea have a strange taste?

Lin Suyang put down her teacup, not wanting to drink anymore, just as Qin Hao walked in.